Love this series. The thought that there is a place to go when needed, even for a short time. Is a balm. Rockton ended but not Casey and Eric's dream, so they opened a new place where they are the boss's and have only one benefactor that they need to keep in contact. The difference is that in Haven's Rock they have a few children.

Although they are n a different location the Yukon, there are still woods. A suspicious mining company and of course bad people who exist everywhere. There is still plenty of mystery. Plus, most of my favorite characters from Rockton have stayed with Haven's Rock.

Happy to know there are plenty new books coming in this series.

The narration was terrific.

I read book 1 to prepare for this ARC only to find out there are 7 more books of the previous series I needed to read! I am so glad that I did, I could not love this series more!! I love all the relationships in the series, even the tense ones! I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment and to see what kind of parents they are going to be!

Write fast, Kelley Armstrong! This is my 2nd series from her that I have enjoyed very much, she is now on my always-read list!

The newest installment of Kelley Armstrong's Haven's Rock series is just the right amount of fun, scary, and mysterious. With easy, breezy storytelling and a heart of gold, this series is always an enjoyable romp. I'm so grateful to have gotten to visit again with Casey and Eric, and to see what the townspeople are up to; like visiting old friends who live a much more exciting life than I'd ever want to!

This is the second book of a series which is also a spin off from another series by this author. This was my first book by this author. This book reads as a stand alone without any issues keeping up with the story.

I found myself drawn to the main characters and the mystery of Max’s disappearance (the boy who cried bear). While the story left you with a little bit of unresolved mystery, it didn’t leave me unsatisfied with the book but ready to read the next book.

I will be looking for other books by this author as I truly enjoyed the writing and feel invested in this story.

Of note, I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator a pleasant voice to listen to.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this story. All opinions are my own.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is the next installation in Casey’s story. This installation faces new challenges and dynamics that keeps the storyline fresh and evolving from the Rockton series. As always, I enjoyed exploring the Yukon wilderness through the vivid descriptions. The cast of characters, features old and new faces who are hilarious, beloved, and frustrating in complicated ways. The mystery is solid with the continued growth of Dalton and Casey’s relationship. Looking forward to the next chapter. Therese Plummer continues to bring the story to life with her narration.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.

I really liked the first book in this series so I was excited that there was another about this secret small town! I love the characters and was so glad that what I thought was going to happen didn’t happen. I’m excited for the next one!

An isolated community in the Yukon where people with pasts that need to be forgotten come to live. Add in a bear man who is seen stalking a hike, a miner's camp that has mysterious things occurring and there are plenty of mysteries to solve. Story was ok and I lived the narrator.

This book is the second in the series but also works well as a stand alone.

Casey Duncan and her husband, Eric Dalton have helped to build the town of Haven's Rock from the ground up. Located in a remote part of the Yukon, the town is protected and sheltered from the outside world. This enables them to provide a safe place for victims and endangered people to live without worrying about constantly having to look over their shoulder. The small population has been carefully vetted to be sure that no one is let in who could endanger someone else.

In this storyline, a new family has come to town - - a mother and her two sons. There is speculation amongst the townspeople as to what happened to them prior to arriving there. And the mother is very jumpy. Then a bear....or is it a bear man....appears in the woods and there's chaos.

This book pulls you in and doesn't let go. It's a well written mystery with a community that feels like family. I look forward to reading more in this series.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration of the audiobook was really well done. I was able to completely immerse myself in the storyline. 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

This book is the second in the Haven's Rock series, which I did not know going in. That being said, I was able to enjoy the story without having read the first one, although knowing the background of the characters and the setting would have been an added bonus.

The Boy Who Cried Bear follows Detective Casey and her husband Sherrif Eric Dalton as they search for missing 10-year-old Max, a resident of Haven's Rock, which is a small unmarked community in the Yukon Territory of Canada and is a safe haven for those in witness protection. On a hike with other residents, Max claims that he sees a bear, but this bear has human eyes and walks on its back legs. Max's brother makes fun of him, which causes Max to wander off into the forest and not return. Because the community is so small and isolated, suspects are limited and Casey and Eric try to piece together what happened while trying to find Max.

The story started off really strong, with the plot moving quickly and lots of action. As the search for Max continued, though, things started to slow down, and by the end, it felt very slow to me. The resolution to Max's disappearance was a little dull and predictable.

I enjoyed the variety of characters in the story and the setting was really intriguing to me. This author has written an entire other series based on another of these witness protection communities that seem really interesting and I'm very tempted to go back and read them.

Something I thought was a little confusing was that two characters were referred to by two different names with no explanation that one name was the character's first name and the other was the last name. It took me too long to figure out that the same character was being referred to. This might have been more obvious and less confusing if I had read the first book in this series, but I didn't so it was something I had to figure out on my own and something I can see confusing other readers.

Overall, a good story with a thought-out plot and good character development. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

This series is such a great continuation of the Rockton series and it still always manages to surprise me. Plus the ending means that more is to come! Therese Plummer is one of my all time favorite narrators and I cannot recommend this series as well as its precursor, the Rockton series, enough. So unique and so good!!

The Boy Who Cried Bear came out earlier this week on February 20, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

3.5 rounded up to a 4. This was different than most thriller/suspense books I read. I kept wanting to know what happens next. I may go read the first book in the series, since I didn't know this was part of a series when I started the book.

This was fantastic! I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s writing and the characters featured in the Rockton/Haven’s Rock series hold a special place in my heart. I know this is listed as the second book in the Haven’s Rock series, but that series is just a continuation of the Rockton series, so I would recommend starting there and reading the books in order if possible. You could probably get away with jumping right into this book but the whole series is great so you don’t want to miss it.

I was quickly pulled into this newest mystery and couldn’t wait to see how Eric and Casey would get to the bottom of things. A boy disappears from the hidden town of Haven’s Rock after claiming to have seen a bear in the woods. I love that this series always seems to keep me guessing and this book was no exception. It turned out that bears were not the scariest things in the wilderness surrounding the small town that Eric and Casey. There are some developments in this story for Eric and Casey that should play an important role in future installments that I am pretty excited about.

I usually read this series with my eyes but this time I listened to the audiobook and thought Therese Plummer did an excellent job with this story. This narrator has been one of my favorites for a very long time and this performance was up to her usual high standards. I felt like I was right there with Casey and Eric trying to find this boy in the woods. The voices that she used for the characters really brought the story to life and I thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would highly recommend this series to others. I have found this series to be very smartly written with characters that feel like friends. Kelley Armstrong has earned a spot on my favorites shelf and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

I received a review copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio.

Apparently this is book #2 of the series. No matter though. I did not read book #1 and it was still terrific, and I did not feel like I missed out on anything...

This story takes place in Haven's Rock (the post Rockhaven era). It is a community that is TOTALLY off the grid. No cell service. Totally isolated. And, a great place to go if you are trying to get away from reality...say, in Witness Protection...

Casey and her husband Eric lead the Protection/Police in the area. They know everyone in the small community and somewhat of what they ran away from, and who they are...and they are there to protect everyone and keep them safe.

So, when their youngest resident, Max, is on a camping trip and claims to have seen a BEAR with HUMAN eyes, people tend to listen. Bears ARE around in the area. But they don't seem to get the human eyes part. In any case, a manhunt pursues, and they are on the lookout for the bear. In the interim, Max goes missing...

This would not be such a great concern, except when you find out why Max and his family are in this isolated community.

Tensions are high, accusations are made, but nonetheless, the entire community is out looking for Max...including the hunting/police dog Storm!

When they need to breach the parameters to go look on the other side of the mountain on property other than their own...well, new fears arise as new scenarios come to light....

This one will keep you on the edge of your seat, and yes, wanting for more.
I see that it is a series, and I seriously hope that it will be continued...as I NEED to find out what's next for Haven's Rock and it's community!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which was just released (2/20/24)

#TheBoyWhoCriedBear by #KelleyArmstrong and beautifully narrated by #TheresePlummer (And, Yes, you will be catching your breath with her narrating!!)

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
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Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️📖

I have a thing with police procedurals, I just can’t resist them and this one was really good. This is the second book in a series but it can be read as a standalone, I didn’t read book one and had no trouble following the story at all. It was fast-paced, intriguing, suspenseful and it kept me guessing.

Thank you Minotaur Books Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this complimentary audiobook and gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 released yesterday February 20, 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

uch a fantastic atmosphere for a police/detective mystery. I love the wilderness and mountainous setting coupled with the remoteness of the town, I just LOVED it! The characters are wonderful too, both the main characters Casey and Eric a couple of secondary casts have good backstories. If you enjoy a well-written, terrific pacing, and suspense, be sure to give this one a shot.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is book two in the Rockton spinoff, where Casey and Eric have started their own refuge town, Haven’s Rock, after Rockton was dissolved. The series is best read in order as there’s a lot of history even though each book has a separate mystery that’s solved by the end.

I have loved the Rockton series from the start! A town off-the-grid, hidden, a shelter for someone when conventional justice has failed, such as a victim of stalking, an abusive partner, wrongfully accused, etc., While Rockton supposedly vetted the people before granting sanctuary, only allowing the innocent, non-violent in, we found out that wasn’t always the case.

In this installment, there are several candidates that Emily has sent their way, and unlike Rockton, there are couples and even families in the mix. One family is Dana and her two sons, thirteen-year-old Carson, and ten-year-old, Max. Dana was shot, and their father was murdered. On one of their hikes, Max spots a “bear man” stalking their party. This is the second time Max has seen this and the first time there was little evidence to corroborate his account and so he’s hesitant to even say anything, but another in their group, Gunnar, also spots something. Is there a bear stalking the residents or is something more dangerous afoot?

There’s a personal issue that comes up for Casey and Eric, but they must put that on the backburner while they have such a serious, time-sensitive situation.

This was a disturbing case that had me on the edge of my seat! As usual Casey and Eric filter the nonsense out and get to the heart of the matter. I love that Casey and Eric work so well together, mostly a step ahead of nasty people. The revelations about their location set up a potentially dangerous situation as they try and make Haven’s Rock a refuge for the vulnerable! I absolutely love this series and I’m eager to find out what happens next!

I alternately listened to and read Murder at Haven’s Rock and recommend either version! Thérèse Plummer narrates the audio version, as with the previous books, and she performs all voices, male and female wonderfully! She’s one of my all-time favorite narrators and her performance here is perfection! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

Another good Haven's Rock mystery

This is the second book in the Haven's Rock series, which follows the mysteries of a type of homesteading community for people with means to fall off the radar and disappear. It is policed by Eric Dalton, the sheriff and raised in the wilds as a child. His love interest, Casey Duncan, was originally hired because of her police background, and both are from the Rockton series. Haven's Rock is a spinoff and a new town that was founded when Rockton became too dangerous to continue due to the board's focus on profits vs candidate selection. Several residents, both criminals and victims, had all the warnings of mental behaviors that would cause harm to an isolated community such as Rockton. Now in a more cleaned up version, Haven's Rock, there is a similar case with a young boy in the community who explores the forest surrounding the town and sees what could be a bear or one of the dangerous settlers that have turned back to dangerous primitives. When Max is kidnapped, it's a race to find him before he becomes the youngest victim along with the mystery of who's behind the latest threat to Haven's Rock.

I have enjoyed the concept of a safe haven for those that have exhausted all legal means to prove their innocence. Combine that with the dangers of navigating the surrounding woods that are the town's protector, but also can lead to its demise. There is always a good mystery surrounding the longer story arcs of building a new community and getting to know its citizens. We are introduced to a neighboring mining camp in this story that can easily be developed into more Haven's Rock books. I listen to this series in audiobook format, and the narration is always good. Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for this audiobook ARC. Publication is currently set for February 20, 2024. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A lovely play on the boy who called wolf - Haven Rock provides shelter for those seeking to refuge. With strict policies and rules. Max and his family are new residents - the first children as well as Latinos, they struggle against racism. Done so well showcasing human tendencies. Max spots a bear - a man bear. And disappears.
Dalton and Casey race to find him - struggling to maintain their respectful distance from the miners nearby. As their search continues, it's clear the miners are hiding something - and involved.
Loved the narration - I couldn't stop listening!
Great suspense, plot and character development.

#TheBoyWhoCriedBear:

Thank you always to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio partner, for my gifted copies!

My husband and I both love Kelley Armstrong, so usually I’ll read it and let him read it when I get done. His exact words after I told him I was done were, “man, you haven’t finished a book that fast in a while” I NEEDED this Casey Duncan book y’all.

I am in the firm belief that you cannot read these as stand-alones. I think you had to read the Rockton series to truly understand the dynamics that have now come to play in Havens Rock. I also feel like you’ve had to read the first Havens Rock to understand who their neighbors are, what their intentions are, kind of this new understanding of their community. I love these books so much, and Armstrong gives you so much in each book that I don’t think coming in on a whim really helps you truly understand the journey.

Casey’s big dilemna was so good. I was not expecting it and I’m so attached to these characters. Is it a major spoiler? Yes. While she’s over here trying to figure out her dilemna, we’ve got big problems with a missing kid. I was sucked in and did not want to sleep until I knew everyone was safe and sound.

Audio always 10/10. Thérèse Plummer, always going to make it a hit. I always will recommend the audio because Plummer keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Overall, dare I say my favorite Rockton/Havens Rock book? It is! I loved the mystery and the internal conflict happening. We are one step closer into understanding the neighbors and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Out tomorrow.

QOTD: Name a favorite author.

<i>The Boy Who Cried Bear</i> is the second novel in the HAVEN'S ROCK series, a spin-off of the ROCKTON series. Having read just the first book of Rockton, I feel confident that you also can enjoy this as a standalone. Of course, I now have to check out the other books as I love these characters!

Haven’s Rock is a new small isolated community in the Yukon where residents stay and seek refuge. Only adults live in Haven's Rock except for newly arrived Dana and her two boys from the Witness Security Program.

When the 10-year-old Max said he spotted a bear in the woods while with a hiking party, a bear with human eyes no less, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalto were alarmed and led the search.

<i>The Boy Who Cried Bear</i> has such a fantastic atmosphere for a police/detective mystery. I love the wilderness and mountainous setting coupled with the remoteness of the town, I just LOVED it! The characters are wonderful too, both the main characters Casey and Eric a couple of secondary casts have good backstories. If you enjoy a well-written, terrific pacing, and suspense, be sure to give this one a shot.

Thérèse Plummer narrates and it's top notch performance. Highly recommend the audiobook!
9/10 ~ 4.5⭐

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.
10H 19M